Pope warns against moral neutrality in AI

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday warned against the issue of moral neutrality in AI.

In a post on US social media platform X, the pontiff underlined that AI is not morally neutral, as every system embeds design choices, priorities, and classifications that reflect specific visions of humanity and society.

Noting that ethical analysis of AI must extend beyond end-use purposes to examine the data, the pontiff added: “It must also examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide.”

“For AI to respect human dignity and truly serve the common good, responsibility must be clearly defined at every stage: from those who design and develop these systems to those who use them and rely on them for concrete decisions,” Leo said.

The pontiff also highlighted the importance of identifying “who must account for decisions, justify them, monitor them, and, when necessary, challenge them and remedy any harm caused.”